As Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks his 13th address to the nation on Independence Day on Saturday, data centres and the rise of artificial intelligence found a mention in his speech.PM Modi's remarks also come amid protests in Maharashtra's Thane and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh against the construction of data centres. (@narendramodi)Speaking from the Red Fort in New Delhi, the prime minister said: “Whether we talk about semiconductors or critical minerals, as we move towards the technologies of the future — and as the world moves in that direction — the importance of energy will continue to grow. It will be difficult to run the new world without energy. And therefore, whether it is chips, AI or data centres, we will need enormous amounts of electricity.”Track LIVE updates on Independence Day 2026 These remarks come as part of India's push for energy security. PM Modi's remarks also come amid protests in Maharashtra's Thane and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh against the construction of data centres.India's push towards AI, data centresAs per the ministry of electronics and information technology, data centres have been located in areas such as Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi NCR and Jamnagar."The installed capacity has grown from 375 MW in 2020 to the current capacity of about 1575 MW," the ministry noted, adding that the industry will be expanded to states such as Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal.